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  Gated parking corralUSPTO Application #: 20070085067Title: Gated parking corral Abstract: The gated parking corral is a protected parking area designed to be set up in parking lots or fields to protect a vehicle from damage. The gated corral has a fence with vertical posts and horizontal beams attached between the vertical posts to form an enclosure. At the end of the enclosure, a gate arm is pivotally connected to one of the vertical posts. A padded rail is connected between the vertical posts and protects vehicles from dings when the doors are opened. Sensors are affixed along the horizontal beams that determine the presence of a vehicle within the enclosure. Once the sensors detect a vehicle within the enclosure, the gate arm is closed. Upon payment of a certain amount of monies into a coin box connected to the gate arm, the gate arm will operate in an upward direction to allow the vehicle to exit the corral. (end of abstract) Agent: Litman Law Offices, Ltd - Arlington, VA, US Inventor: John R. Lewis USPTO Applicaton #: 20070085067 - Class: 256073000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Fences, Panels (e.g., Gates) The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070085067. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/727,492, filed Oct. 18, 2005. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention relates to parking space systems, and particularly to a gated parking corral for motor vehicles. [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art [0005] Parking lots, outdoor arenas or other spaces are used for keeping vehicles in an ordered placement. Generally, however, these lots do not provide much protection for the users who want to avoid dings, scratches, dents or other destruction to their automobiles. Japanese Patent Nos. 52-54,247, published May 1977; 2-68,700, published March 1990; 7-272,034, published October 1995; 2001-227,187, published August 2001; and 2004-30,084, published January 2004, appear to disclose automated parking lot management and/or parking space management involving stacking vehicles vertically. [0006] Accordingly, there is a need for a gated parking corral that allows owners to maintain their vehicles within semi-confined spaces to avoid dents or scratches to their automobiles. Additionally, there is a need for a gated parking corral that will automatically detect the presence of a vehicle within the enclosure of the corral and automatically fence the vehicle within the enclosure. [0007] None of the aforementioned patents appear to disclose or suggest either singly or in combination all of the features of the present invention. Thus, a gated parking corral solving the aforementioned problems is desired. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0008] The gated parking corral is a protected parking area designed to be set up in parking lots, fields or any type of area that would have need for a secure place in which to protect a vehicle. The gated parking corral may include one or more fenced-in areas that hold an automobile within an enclosure. [0009] The gated corral has a fence with vertical posts and horizontal beams attached between the vertical posts to form an enclosure. At the end of the enclosure, a gate arm is pivotally connected to one of the vertical posts and serves to prevent vehicles that have entered the corral from leaving before paying. A padded rail is connected between the vertical posts and protects vehicles from dings when the doors are opened. [0010] Sensors are affixed along the horizontal beams, along the vertical posts or along the padded rail. Side sensors are affixed along horizontal beams that are in parallel relationship to each other across the enclosure, and rear sensors are affixed along horizontal beams that are normal to the side beams in parallel relationship. A loop sensor is installed within the ground under the enclosure in which the vehicle is to be kept. An indicating light is electrically connected to the side and rear sensors. [0011] A vehicle may enter the enclosure defined by the fence and as the vehicle comes within close proximity to the side sensors or the loop sensor senses the vehicle, the indicating light turns from "green" to "yellow" to indicate that a vehicle is entering. As the vehicle further enters the enclosure and comes within proximity to the rear sensor, the rear sensor reads that the vehicle is approaching, and the light changes to "red". [0012] After the vehicle is fully parked within the corral, the sensors have detected the presence of the vehicle, and the light changes to red, a timer electrically connected to the sensors is activated. The timer is preset for a specified amount of time to allow the driver to exit the vehicle and continue out of the corral area. Once the specified time has been reached following the activation of the sensors, the timer will signal to a gate drive situated within one of the vertical posts that the gate arm is to be lowered. The gate drive controls operation of the gate arm. An audible alarm may additionally be connected to the timer, so that when the specified time has elapsed, the alarm sounds notice to the vehicle owner that the gate arm will be closing. [0013] The vertical posts to which the gate arms are attached can have a coin box affixed to the posts that accepts coins, bills, prepaid payment cards, or other form of payment. Once the vehicle owner wants to leave the corral, the owner puts the requisite amount of money into a slot in the coin box. Following receipt of the correct amount of money into the coin box, the gate drive is activated, which causes the gate arm to pivot in an upward direction to allow the vehicle to leave the enclosure. [0014] These and other features of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0015] FIG. 1 is an environmental, perspective view of a gated parking corral according to the present invention. [0016] FIG. 2 is a detailed perspective view of the gated parking corral according to the present invention. [0017] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the gated parking corral according to the present invention. [0018] Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS [0019] The present invention is a gated parking corral that allows a vehicle to pay for parking in a protected parking area. The gated parking corral, designated generally as 10 in the drawings, may include one or more fenced-in areas in which to keep an automobile. Walkway areas proximate to the corral 10 may be identified by a paint strip or other marking thereon. Additionally, parking boundaries may be identified by a paint strip or other marking around the periphery of the corral 10. Moreover, a paint strip or other marking may be applied within the corral 10 to assist a driver in properly aligning the vehicle with the corral 10 to avoid parking too close to any of the sides defined by fence 12. Continue reading... Full patent description for Gated parking corral Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Gated parking corral patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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